Wigan. Leeds. Cup Semi Final. Can't fill 20,000 seats.

The people running this game need to get a grip. This is horrible national exposure, makes me sick.

I await the 'its the fans fault' response. The most useless response ever. If it's 'the fans fault', what exactly would you propose to fix it? (FYI - I was going but lost my transport about 3 hours ago).

1 whole stand closed and the top tier of another also shut by the looks of it - puts the crowd around 12k max?

In 2005 we filled the full end that Leeds have got. We also filled both tiers from half way in the 2 tier side stand and had a couple of thousand in the stand that is completely empty. I just can't believe people don't travel to semi finals

Crowd is poor, and I am another one that can't understand why fans don't turn out for CC semi's the two I have been too (Hull-Saints 2005 and Hull-Wakefield 200icon_cool.gif were fantastic games, and not just because we won!

Well done to the Beeb for giving us a good timeslot though, usually these games are tucked away at like 2 in the afternoon. Instead we are the featured item on both the BBC Sport website, and the BBC homepage with a link to watch the game live on iPlayer. Great promotion for the game!

It's embarrassing. These are arguably the top biggest names in English Rugby League, cup semi-final and they can't sell out a ground that can't be more than 1 hour away from either teams ground.

so, its the fault of the RFL that many wigan and leeds fans just couldnt be d with it? hmmmmm......ok.

I think it's in part down to the way the game is reliant so much on money.

Nowadays the game is so much about money that competitions where you can't guarantee cashflow are somewhat written off. You work your budgets around league games. You have to because you can't rely on cup matches as you might not play in more than one. Season tickets can't be included in cup matches, so the crowds are less. This transfers to the players, and the prestige isn't there as much.

It's such a shame because in the challenge cup we've got a competition with real tradition and charisma. It would be great to find a solution to it's demise. Leeds Wigan is one of our sports biggest matches and yet we're not seeing a big crowd for a semi final, it's such a shame.

cracking game though for those who aren't watching the crowd !

Rugby League just isn't that popular. Deal with it.

I blame the Giants fans. They should have tuirned up to watch it.

Kick them out of SL i say.

Surely its the people of huddersfield and the giants fans fault,they are a disgrace to the game

Surely its the people of huddersfield and the giants fans fault,they are a disgrace to the game

Yet another awful decision from the SL officials, clearly a knock-on, why have they not used the video ref when the technology is there?!

That disgraceful you posted it twice

It will be tommorrow when your mini bus turns up at Salford

Bet the Wigan and Leeds fans who have stayed at home are gutted to have missed this, fantastic game of RL. Great game to be showing to a primetime BBC2 audience.

Today's game was a real credit to both teams. Can't ask for more than that.

I blame London for the crowd.

Ney, we got a double decker tomorrow !!

Well something's wrong. We've just seen a great product, again (although the refereeing errors were somewhat embarrassing - I say that as a Wigan fan, but accepting that Leeds were much better regardless, so I say it genuinely without bitterness). A great product that they can't sell (to fans or sponsors). In any other business with the same problem you'd conclude that the management needed to do some thinking or get out. But no, it's 'the fans fault'. Try running a business, where, if your product doesn't sell you just say 'it's the customers fault for not being d' - trust me, you won't last long.

If it is as simple as 'they can't be d', then lets find out WHY they can't be d. It won't be one reason, it'll be lot's of reasons and different ones for different people, but the RFL should be desperately canvassing those Wigan and Leeds fans that *didn't go* to find out why. I have a few ideas, but to be honest, mine are probably as wrong as anyone else's guesses. We don't need to guess. The RFL need to get their heads out of their a***s and find out what the problem is, rather than spending their time defending themselves.

Certainly not blaming the ref - Leeds out-enthused us and kept their heads when against the wall, we fell apart and kept forcing a wonder play that wasn't on.

But - two horrible decisions led to tries and influenced the game massively - the blatant forward pass in the first half and McGuire's knock-on in the second. Got to point the at blame Tomkins and Hock though, if they'd played to the whistle Leeds might not have scored. But if the video ref is available for the knock-on why not use him??

Anyway, congrats Leeds, better team on the day.

[size=85Ps I've not gone because I've been playing.[/size

Wonder when the last official CC Semi-Final sell-out was, Bradford v Leeds in 99 at Galpharm perhaps? (I only know that cos I was there as a neutral and it was a 24,000+ full-house).

What frightens me is the thought that there are people at the RFL who agree with you... "nowt we can do, its the fans fault". What hope have we got with that attitude?

What I dont get is that when Leeds played Toulouse in a semi a few years back there was an 18k crowd there! And it was mostly Leeds fans. The cup is dead and I am not even bothered.

"I'm not blaming the ref but...

(Spends a whole paragraph explaining how the refereeing decisions cost Wigan)"

Yeah...

Nail. Head. Hit.